OWEN CANFIELD: Remedies? Yes, but much more at Good Life

At the Good Life Natural Food and Wellness Center, 1083 East Main Street in Torrington, the motto is "Remedies for Mind, Body and Soul."

"My emphasis is on education," owner Laurie A. Woolford said. "I also have two full-time massage therapists and a full time acupuncturist working here."

East Main Street is a busy thoroughfare with businesses of every type from auto dealerships to bowling lanes to professional offices, restaurants, cleaners, printers and martial arts studios -a cornucopia of commerce.

Advertisement

The non-stop activity on the wide and busy street is what brought Laurie and Good Life to the present location.

"The store was on North Elm Street originally," Woolford said. "It was unique then (1972). People were only beginning to talk about natural foods. I started shopping there in 1976."

Henry and Laurie Woolford had two daughters, Amber, now 35, and Stephanie, 38. "Our youngest was born with many allergies," Laurie said. "And I also had allergies. Because of this I started coming to the store and taking great interest in health food."

Ann and Charles Lawson were the owners along with their daughter, Karen Lennon, according to Laurie.

Laurie's interest grew. She took what she said were "many classes and courses"at UConn and Northwest Community College in subjects related to natural foods and the business of natural foods.

Laurie thought about buying the business. The Woolford family took a vacation. When they returned, the matter was decided.

Hank Woolford worked in architectural millwork at Monarch Industries in Waterbury. "He researched and collected all the information we needed for the purchase. On February 14th, 1997, Valentine's Day," she said, "I bought the store." Monarch Industries eventually folded. Hank joined Laurie in the operation of the store.

It was a thrill and a challenge for her. "I said, 'I've always wanted to own a health food store,'" recalled Laurie. "But one of the girls piped up, saying, 'No, Mom, you've always wanted to own this health food store.'"

In 2004, Woolford moved the business to a location near the Torrington Library on Daycoeton Place. "But shortly, many downtown businesses had moved away so in 2010 we moved again. I loved being there but in this location we have more space." Not to mention, she did not have to add, plenty of traffic along East Main, which translates to potential customers.

New customers are always welcome, of course, but Laurie noted that there is a core of customers who have been with her for many years and who keep returning. She's gratified about that but it says a lot about her, too. She aims to please and does so. Any merchant will say consistently satisfied clientele is not only a blessing, but a must, especially in a small store and especially at this time in Connecticut.

Browsing in a health food store is interesting and eye opening. Who knew? I can't list them all but I can say eating "smart foods", as an old friend used to call them, seems like a sensible way to go and this store is loaded with them.

There's more to Laurie's Good Life store than healthy eats, massage therapy and acupuncture. At the back of the store there two display cases of jewelry and unique crafts, plus several racks of goods and displays.

"These things," Laurie said, "are all one-of-a-kind items. They come from 28 different local artists, and many of them are very expensive." She ticked off the merchandise: jewelry, painted sun hats, hand painted silk scarves, pocketbooks, aprons, baby items . . .

"There is a 75-year-old woman who paints these silk scarves," Laurie said, "and often, with the permission of the artists, I will wear some of the jewelry when I attend occasions like weddings just to show them off."

Laurie Woolford is a woman with a passion for "medicinal health foods," as she calls them, and the store she owns that has much more than that to offer.